Vehicle manufacturers install an ever-increasing number of communication and location technologies on vehicles. These technologies enable a vehicle to transmit a wide variety of data to a central facility and/or third parties. In one example, a vehicle telematics device can send voice and data communications and global positioning system (GPS) coordinates through a wireless network to a central facility, such as a call center. The data or GPS coordinates can be used to provide useful location-based services. Examples of location-based services include using the GPS coordinates to locate the vehicle on a map, determine if the vehicle has left an area, or identifying the route of the vehicle as it moves.
However, some location-based services, such as accessing the exact position of a vehicle or the vehicle's real-time route, can cause privacy concerns. For instance, in some situations the user of the vehicle is unaware that a subscriber to the location-based services or other person can determine the vehicle's location. Suppliers of location-based services may wish to balance the interests of the location-based service subscriber and those of the user of the vehicle. Or in other words, it can be helpful to give the location-based subscriber access to detailed vehicle location information while simultaneously alerting a vehicle occupant that location-based services or vehicle location information are available to a vehicle owner or third party.